The Arrogance of Humility 14

The next morning, hours before the ceremony, in the hallway towards the laboratory where the assault took place.

Imperial soldiers, under General Draco’s request, heavily guarded the place. Vennefer and Headmaster Arcus stood near the letter left by Carolus prior to his death, trying to figure out what the letter meant.

“What a cryptic letter. At least write something better than this!” Headmaster Arcus said, fed up of thinking.

“He probably made it like this so the enemy couldn’t figure it out.”

“What’s the point if none of the professors could understand either?”

General Draco, recently recovered, arrived, seeing the letter.

“How is it?” he asked.

“It’s not good,” Vennefer replied. “we couldn’t figure out what this letter is supposed to mean.”

“B…” General Draco muttered, seeing the letter. “Could it be—?”

“Know something?” Headmaster Arcus asked.

“I think it’s nothing important. It just reminds me of the late Brutus Celzan.”

“Make sense since our enemy is his descendants,” Vennefer commented.

Outside the laboratory, in the hallway, Lucy was running frantically with Lance pursuing her. She overheard the conversations about Gina’s being taken and Carolus’ death from the patrolling guards when she’s having her daily exercise.

“WHERE’S GINA?!!!” she asked aloud with anxiety and rage in her voice. “WHERE’S—?!!!”

Lance caught up with her, pulling her right arm and trying to reason with her.

“Calm down, Lux!” he said.

“Release me, Lance!” She forced as she pulled her right arm.

The guards blocked their way to the laboratory.

“That girl,” Headmaster Arcus said. “How did she know?”

“Forgive me,” Vennefer said as he turned back, but General Draco stopped him.

“No, I’ll confront her,” General Draco said as he turned, approaching Lucy. “It’s my fault after all. Please, figure that message out.”

He went outside and confronted the angry Lucy.

“Where…” she said as she clenched her fists. “Where’s Gina?!”

“Forgive me—”

“You had one job… despite that, you can’t save at least one?! How in the world did you become a general?!”

“Lucy—!” Lucy’s impudence startled Lance. “Watch your tongue!”

“It’s all right,” General Draco said with a concerned face. He wasn’t agitated or angered a little. He lowered his head, bowing to Lucy with all the regret inside him.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

Lucy clenched her fist; she was about to punch him in the face, but Lance held her arm.

“Lux, don’t—!” he said.

“It’s all right,” General Draco said. “She may hit me as much as she wanted if it could calm her down.”

“Lucy…” Lance patted her back. “Let’s head back. Everyone did what they could.”

“Tch!” Lucy lowered her fist, and without a word, turned back, leaving them all with rage still burning inside her heart.

“Lucy—?” Lance stayed, looking at her walking away.

“You’re not accompanying her?” General Draco raised his head.

“No,” Lance replied. “I’ve to let her cool off on her own. I fear I would anger her more if I pursue her.”

“I see.”

“So, what’s going on in there?”

“Before his death, Professor Carolus left a message for us. Sadly, we couldn’t figure out what’s the meaning of it.”

“Let me help. He’s a Wiseman. I’m sure an alchemist like me can help.”

“Very well. You have my permission.”

The guards moved aside, allowing Lance to enter the laboratory and see the message. They both didn’t mind Lance’s being there to help since a genius like him probably could decipher the message.

Since he believed no one could decipher the message or the message itself held no significant meaning, General Draco left the place, waiting for the four to initiate their plan.

“This is…” Lance said as he got closer. “B?”

Vennefer brought documents written by Carolus to compare his writings to the letter. Headmaster Arcus later noticed the ‘B’ Carolus usually wrote looked different to the letter there, meaning the letter wasn’t ‘B’. From their observations, the letter looked a bit separated.

“Looks like ‘13’ instead of ‘B’,” Lance said.

“13, hm?” Vennefer muttered.

“It solves nothing,” Headmaster Arcus said.

“But at least we made progress here,” Vennefer said as he tried figuring the number out.

Lance took another paper written by Carolus, trying and hoping to find a clue. Lance searched until he stopped at one.

“What’s concerning you?” Vennefer asked.

“This is… List of elements?”

Headmaster Arcus saw and recognized the data.

“Once,” he said. “The late Bernheim Draco, Brutus Celzan, and your ancestor, Lord Orleans, tried listing all the elements known to men in a single table. It was never completed however. Carolus might be trying to complete it in his meantime.”

Vennefer looked at it for a while.

“I knew it,” he thought.

Vennefer hurried, leaving.

“Where are you going?” Headmaster Arcus asked.

“There’s something important I’ve to check!” he said before leaving.

An hour later, they all gave up and postponed the investigation to prepare for the grand ceremony.

Hours later, the grand ceremony to appoint Arkana Eudora Arcus as the headmistress of the academy. The ceremony should be attended by all professors from all academies, but fearing the four exiled families' potential assault, it was only attended by central academy students and staff only.

The ceremony was held outside the academy building during the afternoon, with Arkana and Headmaster Mesdoram standing before everyone.

Twenty imperial soldiers guarded and patrolled the area under General Draco’s request. Secretly, he and Malus were inside the academy’s building, in an empty room on the third floor, meeting with the exiled families while overseeing the situations from up there.

“Claudia,” Emmeroloth asked. “Found that girl or that damned Harvey yet?”

Claudia was controlling an imperial soldier with her wires, but she didn’t find Lucy or Vennefer among the crowds.

“Negative,” she replied.

“We have to draw her out first,” General Draco said. “And Vennefer is defeated.”

“We have no other choice then.” Emmeroloth looked at Mithra. “Bring her forcefully, Mithra!”

“EH?!” Mithra said with a surprised face. “I’m not going—!”

“We have what she needed,” Emmeroloth said. “Take her with you.”

There was another member there, wearing the same cloak as them, with the face obscured by the hood. The person, presumably a 17-year-old girl, had long wavy white hair and pale skin.

“She is in her room from what I’ve heard from her new roommate,” General Draco informed.

“All right,” Mithra said with a smile. “The location was still the same, right?”

“Likely.”

Mithra grabbed the girl’s hand and placed sigils on both of them.

Meanwhile, in Lucy’s room.

While all students were present during the ceremony, Lucy secluded herself in her room, not giving a damn about everything except for anything related to her best friend, Gina.

She was angry at everything, including herself, for failing to save Gina.

“DAMN IT! DAMN IT! DAMN IT!” she thought as she punched the wall in frustration. “DAMN IT!!!”

Her fists bled, but she healed them with Vitae.

‘Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!’

“What the—?!” Lucy thought.

Someone knocked on the door which Lucy probably thought must be a patrol guard checking a room because of the noise she made earlier. She gave no response, thinking the guard would just go. However, the knockings persisted for over three minutes with increasing tempo, annoying her.

“Who’s there, damn it?!” she asked aloud in irritation, but the person knocking gave no response, except for knockings.

Lucy stood and opened the door angrily, almost slamming it.

To her surprise, the one opening the door was neither an imperial guard, a fellow student, nor a professor.

“J-Justus?” Lucy said, surprised.

It was Justus. Without a word, he grabbed her left arm, pulling her from her room, and ran upstairs with her.

“Ouch! Hey! What is it?” Lucy asked.

Justus kept glancing right and left as if he feared something.

“I’ll explain later!” he whispered.

He brought her on the empty rooftops, hiding behind a big generator.

Mithra and the mysterious girl arrived on Lucy’s balcony. They barged in but saw the door was open, meaning Lucy was away.

“Eh?” Mithra said, confused, as he looked around inside the room.

They searched the room from outside to the bathroom, but Lucy was nowhere.

“What should I tell them?” Mithra thought, fearing getting scolded.

They teleported back to the building, bringing nothing.

“She’s nowhere to be found!” Mithra reported.

“What?!” Emmeroloth was surprised. “Have you checked the room thoroughly?”

“I have!”

“Tch! Change of plan!”

“Going all out?” General Draco asked.

“We had no choice. The odds are somehow against us. Damn!”

“Well, see you around.”

General Draco and Malus left the room.

“How is it?” Emmeroloth asked the meditating Dyson. “Ready?”

Dyson opened his eyes.

“Ready,” he replied as he stood.

Dyson removed his cloak, and from his back, four human sexless bodies sprouted. Because of the curse they bore, the same mark appeared on their bodies.

Emmeroloth released black liquid from his sleeves and enveloped the bodies, turning and giving them the appearance of the four.

Mithra placed sigils on them and the clones, transferring and linking their energies and minds to the respective clones.

The others, except for the girl, removed their cloak and wore it on their respective clones.

“Mithra,” Emmeroloth ordered. “Place it now.”

Mithra teleported the four clones away. Emmeroloth faced the mysterious member and patted her shoulder.

“Satanachia,” he said. “Initiate.”

The mysterious girl, Satanachia, smirked as she opened a dimensional rift and entered it.

Meanwhile, at the rooftops.

“What do you mean—?!” Lucy said aloud, but Justus covered her mouth.

“Keep your voice down,” he whispered.

“Sorry.”

Someone opened the door stairs building and moved around, causing Justus to worry.

“You stay here!” he whispered as he sneaked, trying to see who it was.

The person was frantically searching the rooftops, causing Justus to worry.

“Is it them?” he thought.

“Lucy?!” the person called aloud; it was Lance. “Where are you?!”

“It’s Lance—!” Lucy said as she stood, but Justus pulled her back.

“Wait up. You know him?” he asked.

“Yes. He’s a friend of mine.”

Justus touched his pocket for a moment, thinking.

“All right,” he said as he stood.

They both got out from their hiding spot.

“Lucy!” Lance said as he hurried, approaching her.

“Lance? What is it?” she asked.

“I’m worried about you!” Lance looked at Justus. “Ah! Mr. Justus, what are you doing—?”

“Can I trust you?” Justus asked.

“About what—?”

“Keep her safe!” Justus said as he ran, descending the stairs.

“What’s with him?” Lance asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Let’s head—”

Suddenly, a blue and purple force field barrier appeared, surrounding the field the ceremony took place and surprising the other students and professors inside.

The outside soldiers tried to break the barrier, but they couldn’t harm it in the slightest. The soldiers stormed the exit gate, trying to contact outside for reinforcements, but Satanachia appeared through the rift in the gate's front, eliminating them all in a minute with magic.

Now, nothing would interrupt their plans.

On the rooftops, Lucy and Lance looked at the barrier entrapping the other students and professors.

“This barrier…” Lucy muttered, remembering the barrier the exiled families placed. “This is bad!”

Lucy was about to run, but Lance held her shoulder.

“Don’t go!” he said. “Let’s find a safe place to hide—!”

“I have to go! They should have Gina with them!”

Lucy brushed Lance’s arms off and descended the stairs.

“Wait, Lucy—!”

“Don’t stop me, Lance—!”

“No, I’m going with you!”

Inside the barrier, the students were panicking. The professors did their best to calm the situation by trying to break the barrier, but the barrier wasn’t even harmed.

“It begins…” Arkana thought.

Inside the barrier, the four clones of the family appeared from a teleportation sigil. The professors gathered with the students behind them.

“Today!” Emmeroloth’s clone said aloud. “We’re claiming back what you all took from us! You all who claimed as ‘founders’ who unjustly exiled us shall know the pain! The time of revenge has come!”

“Arkana,” Headmaster Arcus said. “Tell the other professors to defend the students.”

“What are you going to do, father—?”

“Just do what I say!!!”

Headmaster Arcus stood in front of the four.

“How dare you all step foot here,” Headmaster Arcus said, furious with killing intent. “You foolish oathbreakers! I, Mesdoram Arcus, as the descendants and the head of the academy shall show you all no mercy!”

“Arcus…” Mithra’s clone muttered in rage.

“Call the other descendants. We’re wiping you all!” Claudia’s clone said.

“Why bother?” Headmaster Arcus taunted. “I could take care of the trash myself.”

“Heh!” Emmeroloth’s clone said. “Don’t get so full of yourself, old bastard! Do you think you can defeat us while defending your students?!”

“Defending?” he said as a level 50 sigil appeared on the ground, surrounding the barrier. “I said I’m taking you all myself!”

“Mithra?!” Emmeroloth’s clone said. “What is this—?!”

“This pattern…” Mithra’s clone examined the patterns. “This is mass teleportation sigil! We can’t afford to let this sigil be finished!”

“Stop him!” Emmeroloth said, and the four launched their attacks towards Headmaster Arcus, but the professors and the students behind him cast an array of magic, deflecting all of their attacks.

“Damn it!” Emmeroloth’s clone said, seeing their attacks got deflected by hundreds of magics.

The sigil got completed first as Headmaster Arcus muttered, “Deus: Choriki Metanastefsis.”

The sigil let out a blinding flash for a second, causing everyone to close their eyes, unable to withstand such an intense flash.

The moment the four clones opened their eyes, they noticed they were in a white, empty land with their barrier intact.

“We’re too late…!” Mithra’s clone muttered.

“Where are we?” Claudia’s clone asked.

“This is emptiness. That magic ripped us out from the very dimension!”

“Such magic exists?! Can you take us back?”

“I can! It will take a long time—!”

“As if I’m letting you go!” Headmaster Arcus said aloud.

Headmaster Arcus and Professor Arkana remained there.

“We’re taking you all down here and now!” Arkana said.

“Arkana?!” Headmaster Arcus said as he noticed her there. “Why are you here—?!”

“I’m not letting you fight them alone, father—!”

“You foolish woman! Do you want to die—?!”

“You old bastard! Don’t risk your life—!”

“Tch!” He moved a step forward. “There’s no use in arguing, eh?”

“I’m a woman now.” She said as she stepped forward, standing next to her father. “Don’t tell me what to do.”

“Then, shall we show them the power of the academy’s heads?”

“Very well, father. Let’s fight side by side before you retire!” Arkana said as she pointed forward, preparing her sigils.

Meanwhile, in the academy’s building. The four realized Headmaster Mesdoram’s action.

“Damn it!” Emmeroloth said. “I don’t know he had such magic!”

“Now what?” Claudia asked.

“You three plant the barrier, this time, with those Arcus bastards gone, no one would interrupt us. Monitor Satanachia and capture that girl!”

“How about you?” Claudia asked.

“I’m going to find that machine and meet with Justus. He is finding her for us.”

“EH?!” Mithra said, surprised. “Then why were you sending me?!”

“After Justus found her, you transport her here.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Very well,” Claudia said. “Let’s move!”

Mithra placed the teleportation sigils on the three, teleporting them to spots around the academy, forming a triangular formation.

Meanwhile, Lucy and Lance reached outside the dorm, seeing the barrier’s gone in an instant.

“Are we too late?” Lance said, seeing the other students and professors unharmed.

“Damn it—!”

Suddenly, another barrier reappeared, projected by Mithra, Dyson, and Claudia. This time, it covered the whole academy, including the dorm.

Outside the gate, Satanachia noticed the barrier. She smirked as she opened a dimensional rift to enter it.

“Lucy…” she muttered with a raspy, maniacal voice before entering the rift.

“It appeared again!” Lance said.

“They aren’t done yet! Let’s find them!”

“Lucy,” Lance said. “After this is over—”

“Lance,” she replied without even turning back. “Not now!”

Lance kept silent for a moment as he looked down, a bit disappointed.

“Sorry,” he muttered.

They continued, but before taking another step, a dimensional rift appeared behind them both, opened by Satanachia. Lucy, being too consumed by the rage, didn’t notice it at all.

Lance noticed it too late. In a second before Satanachia could snatch them both, she pushed Lucy away.

“Ouch! Lance—?!”

She noticed the rift recently closed.

“Lance!!!”

In the ceremony area, the students gathered, circled behind the professors.

“Anything happens,” Professor Glewan said aloud. “Don’t get separated from the others! If anyone’s lost, find a professor!”

“What do we do now?” a wiseman professor asked.

“The only way to end this barrier is to defeat the user,” Glewan said.

“But, didn’t Headmaster Arcus defeat them before?”

“Looks like that barrier earlier was just a distraction.”

“What’s the plan now?”

“Either we wait for Headmaster and Professor Arcus to return or we have to take them down together.”

“Do you think we could?”

“If my grandfather could, there’s no excuse for me then.”

On the second floor of the academy’s building, in the hallway, Vennefer was hurrying, going outside to help. Before he reached the stairs, someone held his shoulder, surprising him.

“AH—!”

“Vennefer, calm down! It’s I!” It was General Draco and his son, Malus.

“Alphonse! They’re attacking—!”

“I know. We have to get Luxianne to safety! Do you know where she is?”

“I don’t know.”

When they all were in the middle of descending the stairs, they met Justus who was ascending to the second floor.

“Justus?!” they both said, surprised.

“You must be searching for Luxianne, correct?” he asked.

“Yes—Wait, why are you here?” Vennefer asked.

“This is a big ceremony, right? General Draco invited me.”

They all stopped there.

“Where’s the girl?” Alphonse asked.

“On the dorm rooftops. I met her there when I was looking at the ceremony from afar.”

“We should go there and bring her with us!” Alphonse insisted.

“I don’t think it’s necessary,” Justus said. “We’re under attack. I suggest we try calling for help.”

“The enemies are after her! We’ve to rescue her!”

Vennefer stayed silent, observing them both.

“I can’t trust them,” he thought as he looked at them.

“Can I make a request?” Vennefer asked.

“Go on,” Alphonse said.

“Alphonse. Send your son to help Lucy.”

“Only he?” Justus said.

“Lucy isn’t that weak. Besides, I know your son and Lucy could hold their own. We have something far more urgent; someone’s trying to break into the forbidden area!”

“What?! What forbidden area?!”

“I’ll explain later! That area contains the forbidden Thanatech constructed by the exiled founders!”

“What about me?” Justus asked.

“Stay with us,” Vennefer replied. “It’s too dangerous if you go outside again.”

They made their mind up and did what they planned.

“Damn it, Celzan!” Alphonse thought as they descended. “You hid something from me! Mutual backstabbing eh?”

From their spots, Mithra placed teleportation sigils, bringing the three in the field, facing the professors.

“They’re here!” the wiseman professor said.

“So, it’s true. The earlier was just a distraction,” Professor Glewan said.

“The plan?”

“Protect the students!”

The three of them moved forward, but they stopped for a while, startled when they realized their clones on the other side got defeated.

“They did it…!” Mithra muttered angrily.

“Don’t worry, Emmeroloth placed Abaddon’s Contract on them,” Claudia said. “None could survive the destruction caused by four clones at once. Those Arcus must be dead!”

“Great.” Mithra smirked. “Then, can we kill them all now?”

A teleportation sigil appeared in the professors, surprising both sides.

“Mithra,” Claudia asked. “Was that you?!”

“N-No!”

The sigil projected Arkana. She stood in front of the professors, staring at the exiled families with a hateful scowl.

“How are you still alive?!” Claudia asked, surprised. “Abaddon’s Contract decimates everything, leaving but nothingness!”

[Earlier, in the nothingness]

Arkana and Headmaster Arcus stood, panting.

On the other side, the four suffered more than they barely could stand on their own. Dyson’s clone lost both of his arms; Claudia’s clone was half-burned into bones; Mithra’s clone was dead; Emmeroloth’s clone lost too much blood from black azoth.

“Their combination…” Claudia’s clone muttered in pain. “They out-powered us!”

“We have no choice…” Emmeroloth’s clone muttered.

Black markings appeared on their bodies, even on Mithra’s corpse after Emmeroloth’s clone muttered, “Amaymon; Abaddon.”

“They still have their desperate measures, hm?” Headmaster Arcus said.

“Careful!” Arkana said, seeing black hexagram sigils appearing under all of them, covering the ground.

“We’ve to get out from here now!” Headmaster Arcus said, and they made their warp sigils for themselves.

Emmeroloth, not wanting either of them to escape, hid black azoth liquid among the hexagram sigil pattern. Since Headmaster Arcus was the oldest, thus having the lowest chance of survival, Emmeroloth targeted him.

“Die!” Emmeroloth’s clone thought as the black azoth slithered behind Headmaster Arcus without both of them knowing.

Their Maleficium sigils grew, forming black domes surrounding the emptiness of the area.

When their sigils were 3/4 complete, the azoth behind Headmaster Arcus rose, forming a big drill, piercing through his back and chest, breaking his sigil and mortally wounding him.

“Father!” Arkana said aloud, surprised.

“Don’t lose your concentration, you idiot of a wench!”

Arkana stopped her sigil and placed a strong Vitae on him, trying desperately to heal his father.

“Hang on—!”

Headmaster Arcus slapped Arkana hard on her face.

“Don’t be stupid!” he scolded. “Save yourself!”

“But—”

“You’re the future of the academy! Don’t risk your life saving me, Arkana!”

“V-Very well—”

The domes turned red and yellow, preparing to destroy everything in their path. He glanced back, looking at his daughter’s sigil; it wasn’t complete, and for the time, it wasn’t enough for her to complete it.

“There’s not enough time, eh?” he thought. “Then, I’ll make the time!”

A level 25 sigil appeared below the domes.

“Deus: Chronos Antisofi…”

The sigil flashed, returning to the state of 30 seconds earlier when the black markings appeared on the four’s bodies.

Headmaster Arcus, having his energy close to empty because of the sigil, fell on his knee. He was panting with his skin pale, lacking energy. His eyes were wavering, struggling to stay open while his lungs desperately trying to breathe.

“Father?!” Arkana was clueless, but she felt something familiar.

She took a tonic from her pocket, offering it, but the father, knowing the time won’t be enough, declined it.

“Arkana…” he said. “Listen. I’m sorry for treating you harshly. I scolded and chastised you… Even for minor mistakes.”

“Father? Why so sudden—?”

“This is my last request. You are the headmistress now… You will make serious and critical choices in the future, but remember: Do the best for the academy.”

He took a scroll from his pocket and gave it to her before the black azoth drill pierced his chest.

“Father—!!!”

“Don’t worry about me now!”

Headmaster Arcus coughed blood as he was rapidly losing his consciousness.

“I love you, my daughter…”

Before Arkana could place a Vitae on him, a sigil below her activated; Headmaster Arcus was projecting the teleportation sigil for her, using every single drop of his blood.

“As if!” Emmeroloth’s clone shouted as he struggled to move the black azoth to her, but the sigil transported Arkana away first.

***

“You all shall pay…!” Arkana said, angry at them.

“Claudia?” Mithra asked. “Can I kill that Arcus whore myself?”

“Go on. We will separate them,” she replied. “I must settle a score with those Arias. Dyson, take care of the rest!”

Dyson charged forward, causing the professors and the students to launch their attacks.

“Use petrifying ability against him!” Arkana ordered. “He can regenerate infinitely against any form of wounds!”

Dyson stopped and stretched his machine right arm he replaced from his incurable wound before. The arm generated the similar force field twice his size, shielding his body against those attacks.

Dyson sprouted two female bodies, the students Claudia killed before in their search for Lucy. Claudia attached the wires to their bodies, using them as puppets. Mithra placed Maleficium sigils on the puppets before he used speed-enhancing magic on his legs and jumped towards Arkana.

“He disappeared?!” Arkana thought, baffled.

Suddenly, Mithra, in a mid-jumping state, appeared next to her. “Got you, old hag!” he said with a wide grin with a nearly completed dimension-warping sigil.

Before anyone could react, the sigil transported both Mithra and Arkana into the empty-night savanna dimension.

“Ms. Arkana!” the wiseman professor said aloud.

“Don’t worry! She would be fine!” Glewan said. “We have to stick to our priority: Protect the students—!”

Dyson charged again, and they used their Vitae magic to stop him. Like before, Dyson blocked again with his machine arm barrier. From that distraction, Claudia used the puppets to attack, but Sheila, who was watching her actions from the start, sent two adult-human sized steampunk automata to hold against the puppets.

Sheila moved, facing Claudia.

“Arias…” Claudia muttered while giving Sheila a bitter scowl.

“Dyson!” she said aloud to him. “I’ve decided! I’ll end those Arias myself! Take care of the others!”

Claudia sent the puppets circling Sheila, aiming for her nape. Because of their speed, Sheila couldn’t keep up.

“Got you!” she thought as a puppet protruded the wires, but from the ground, a fiery vine wall erected, surrounding Sheila. Although the wire could phase through solid objects, fire and heat could damage them.

“Sis!” Cletus said as he stood next to Sheila.

“Damn it!” Claudia withdrew the puppets and cut the protruding wires before it could damage her puppets.

Sheila used this moment to send her automata forward.

Meanwhile, at the same in the other dimension.

The sigil projected both Arkana and Mithra. Immediately, Mithra jumped back far from her.

“Now,” he said with a wide, insane grin. “You’re all mine, Arcus whore!”

“Such a vile mouth for a kid,” she responded, giving Mithra a scowl.

“Heh!” Mithra looked at her and noticed someone behind her. “Hm?”

Arkana looked behind her and realized she didn’t get abducted alone.

“P-Professor Arkana?” It was Claris. She was hiding behind Arkana with her body trembling in fear from seeing Mithra.

“Claris?” Arkana said as she turned around. “How did you get here?”

“I’m sorry… I was behind you when he used the sigil.”

“Looks like I’ve made an accident, hm?” Mithra said, looking at the terrified Claris behind her. “Looks like my kill list got expanded a bit.”

“Claris!” Arkana said. “I need your assistance for this!”

“B-But—!”

“Don’t worry about your score!”

“Heh!” Mithra said as he pointed forward. “Pitiful!”

Meanwhile, at the same time near the dorm, Lucy heard explosions on the rooftops; Lance must be there, fighting.

“Lance…” she muttered. “I’m sorry.”

Lucy ascended the stairs back as fast as she could. She stopped at her room, taking her spear wand and iron sands pouch Lance made for her. She made her way to the rooftops, and just as expected, Lance was facing the mysterious person.

Lance was on the ground, flat with his body full of cut wounds. He gathered his strength to stand and healed his wounds.

“Lucy!” Lance said aloud. “Run! She's dangerous!”

The moment Satanachia saw Lucy, she grinned. “Lucy…” Satanachia muttered as she looked at Lucy.

“You!” Lucy noticed the cloak. “Give Gina back!”

Lucy used everything she had and recklessly dashed to her, preparing the spear. Satanachia moved back, but Lucy was relentless. She transformed her spear into a twin short spear. She threw one spear she enhanced with lightning magic.

Satanachia moved back, dodging the spear, but Lucy expected it. Lucy used dimension rift, teleporting right behind her and next to the lightning spear.

She caught her lightning spear and transmuted both of her spears into short lightning swords. She swung forward, aiming for the head.

But before the attack connected, she felt unnaturally powerful gusts of wind around Satanachia, pushing everything back, including Lance.

Satanachia, having her hood damaged, revealed her true hidden face, surprising Lance and Lucy.

“No way…” Lucy muttered as she stood

“You are—!” Lance stood.

“Gina?!” both Lance and Lucy said aloud from seeing Satanachia’s face.